


Who Your Friends Are

by FirebirdsDaughter



Category: Kamen Rider Zi-O
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Guilt, Mind Control, also, i love these babies, why are there two ways to spell Ouma Zi-O?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-04 21:25:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17312138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FirebirdsDaughter/pseuds/FirebirdsDaughter
Summary: After Geiz is captured by Ouma Zi-O's forces, Tsukuyomi and Sougo can only miserably wonder about their friend's fate.But the Overlord's intentions are slightly different than expected.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I had this idea and then ran with it.  
> And then it turned out longer than expected. XD

Geiz fought back when they tried to push him down, throwing his full weight back into the robots holding his arms—he wasn’t willing to kneel for the version of Sougo he **did** like, damned if he was going to bow easily to Ouma Zi-O—but he was injured and exhausted, and it wasn’t long before the machine soldiers overpowered him and shoved him to his knees. A metal hand grabbed the back of his head, forcing it down as well, constraining him to glare only out of the corners of his eyes.

Something rustled in front of him, and he saw green and gold float past the edges of his vision, muffled footsteps tapping on the stone floor.

“… It’s been a long time.” Said a voice he knew, but at the same time no longer recognised. “I’m sorry it had to be like this.” There was a short pause, then, “What is this? Let go of his head, we can’t talk like this.”

The robot hand disappeared from the back of his head, but Geiz refused to do the Overlord the dignity of an answer, gritting his teeth instead, hands tensing into fists where they were restrained behind his back. He didn’t raise his head—partially in defiance, and partially because deep in his heart he was terrified that if he did look, he would find Sougo looking back at him—and that, he knew would break him. It was already too infuriating, the way the Overlord wasn’t speaking in the usual, dramatic vein, sounding far too much like his younger self than he had any business doing.

Ouma Zi-O sighed. “I know you’re… Upset. But I really wish you could understand that this is **necessary**.”

Geiz did make a sound at that; a small, disbelieving snort. He heard Ouma Zi-O stop pacing, then turn to look at him.

The Overlord let out another sigh, though this one sounded almost like a chuckle. “Always so stubborn. You really are the straightforward type, even in a fight.” The footsteps came closer again. “But that was why I always trusted you most. I still do.”

The quiet sincerity of his voice was too much, too familiar. “I don’t want your trust.” Geiz growled, practically under his breath.

“You trusted me before.”

“I trusted **him**.” That snarl was a little louder, and his head raised, just a bit, though he still couldn’t make himself look into the Overlord’s face.

“He and I are one and the same. There is no difference.”

“Yes.” Geiz spat. “There is.” He squared his shoulders as much as he could while his arms were being held, glaring in Ouma Zi-O’s direction, careful not to focus on his face, speaking through gritted teeth. “But if there is **any** part of him left in you… Then Sougo, I swear I will **never** let you become this.” He flicked his gaze back to a wall to preserve his nerve. “It doesn’t matter what you do to me.” He added. “I will **not** betray them.”

“ **Do** to you?” Ouma Zi-O stepped forward, reaching out and taking Geiz’s face in his hand, gently forcing the Rider to look up into his eyes—eyes that were horribly familiar and grotesquely different at the same time; nothing more than a distorted mask that looked only vaguely like the ones he’d come to know so well, nothing of the kindness they had once possessed.

And yet now, even the expression on the twisted face was, somehow, genuinely affectionate—and almost wounded.

“I would never hurt you, Geiz.” The Demon King whispered earnestly. “You’re my brother.”

But for all it sounded like he meant it, there was a strange look in those eyes that made the words the opposite of comforting.

Ouma Zi-O did not let go of his face, grip even tightening slightly when Geiz tried to turn away, fingertips digging a little into his jaw, enough to ache a bit. Though the fond expression didn’t change, the strange, disconnected edge in the Overlord’s eyes hardened a shade—a subtle sign of the darkness within him.

Geiz tried to find his voice through the ominous aura filling the air. He’d never had a problem with wilfulness before, but being trapped staring into altered visage of someone he’d begun to think of as a friend, even against his will, wasn’t something he could have prepared himself for. Finally, he managed, “What do you **want**?”

Ouma Zi-O looked directly into his eyes. “I want my friend back.”

There was a harsh hint of possessiveness in his voice that was somehow more frightening than when Geiz had expected them to kill him.


	2. Chapter 2

“I’ve seen happier faces at funerals.”

Junichiro set the grocery bags down, looking between the two forlorn teenagers moping about the shop entrance. Sougo was hugging his knees at the foot of the stairs, while Tsukuyomi was half collapsed on the counter. “Actually,” He continued slowly, “Maybe not even there.” He crossed the room to stand between them, folding his arms. “What happened to you two?” He paused, then, frowning, and looked around a little. “And where’s Geiz-kun?”

At that, Sougo whimpered and hid his head in his arms while Tsukuyomi just banged hers on the tabletop frustratedly.

Taking in their reaction, Junichiro’s frown deepened. “Oh no… Another fight?”

“Something like that.” Sougo mumbled. “I… He’s gone.”

His uncle walked over to sit beside him. “… That’s odd. It seemed like you three where getting along so well.”

“It wasn’t a fight…” Tsukuyomi corrected quietly, sighing when Sougo looked at her sharply. “It wasn’t.”

Junichiro glanced between them again. “Then what happened?”

Sougo chewed his lip. “I… I kinda screwed up.” He muttered dejectedly. “Geiz and Tsukuyomi… Helped me out, but… He got in trouble because of it. He… Protected us.” His hands clenched on his arms, knuckles turning white. “But we… Couldn’t help him.” His head disappeared back into the circle of his arms.

His uncle hesitated for a moment, gazing sadly at him. Then he reached out and touched his nephew’s shoulder gently. “It’ll be okay.” He told him seriously. “I’ve been watching you guys. Your bond has become strong enough to endure pretty much anything. Even if things are rough now, I’m certain you’ll make it through. Your friendship won’t break so easily.”

Sougo raised his head to give Junichiro a faint smile. His uncle patted his shoulder a couple times, then stood up. “I’ll make some delicious lunch, okay? Then you guys can work through this in full stomachs.” Gathering his groceries, he left the room.

As soon as he was out of earshot, the ghostly smile vanished, and Sougo reached into his shirt pocket and produced Geiz’s Ride Watch, gazing sorrowfully at it. “Don’t think it’s gonna endure **this**.” He murmured sourly, head falling forward again.

There was a brief, miserable silence; then Tsukuyomi tilted her head slightly to look at him sideways. “… Still angry at me?” She asked tiredly. Sougo merely grunted noncommittally. She huffed a little. “I didn’t have a choice. He was on the other side of a sealed, impenetrable door. If we’d stayed, we would have just been captured, too.”

“We could have kept trying.” He retorted, head still on his arms.

“There was nothing we could do! Neither of you could transform, and the FaizPhone wasn’t enough to fight everything off.” He just grumbled, again. Finally, fed up, she sat up to half glare at him, though her own despair dampened the expression. “He made me promise, okay?”

His head moved up a little to look at her in surprise. “What?”

She bit her lip, her eyes watering a little. “When we first got in. He got really intense and made me promise to get you out no matter what happened.” She slumped back in the chair. “He’d been through there before when he stole the Watches and Driver. He must have realised that something was different.” She took a huge, shaky breath. “He was planning to sacrifice himself from the start.” A cross edge came into her voice, and she folded her arms, and she looked down at the Ziku Driver sitting in her lap. “Freaking jerk.” She whispered, mostly to herself.

There was another bout of despondent silence. Then, “… What’ll they do to him?”

Tsukuyomi thought about it. “Wouldn’t you know better than me?”

“Eh?”

“Ouma Zi-O has him. Ouma Zi-O is you. Wouldn’t you know what you’d do more than I would?”

Sougo was quiet for a long time. “… I think I’d want my friend back. But…” He paused, a cold feeling clenching in his chest. “Geiz doesn’t want anything to do with Ouma Zi-O… And Ouma Zi-O doesn’t seem like he’d change… So what if…” He rubbed his hands against his arms against the imaginary chill. “… What if he tries to… Change Geiz…?”

The dread look she fixed him with wasn’t reassuring in the slightest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I broke the rule 'show don't tell' ten million times over with this one...


	3. Chapter 3

“I’m not your friend.”

Geiz growled each word through his teeth, clenching his jaw to keep impassive. More than anything he wanted to break eye contact—even with the faint ruthless aspect in them, Ouma Zi-O’s eyes looked unbearably **sad** , like Sougo’s had when he’d first asked Geiz to destroy the Driver—but the hand holding his face kept him from moving.

“Don’t say that.” Ouma Zi-O murmured solemnly. “Please.” Geiz’s only response was to grit his teeth harder, fists squeezing so tightly his nails were digging into his palms. The Overlord waited another moment, still looking at him all but desperately, then heaved a deep, mournful sigh. “… I didn’t want to do this.” He said firmly, then let go of Geiz’s head, turning away for a moment. “But you’re not leaving me a choice.” One of the robot sentries stepped up beside him, carrying a box. Ouma Zi-O crossed to it, opening the lid and removing two things before turning back around.

In one hand, he had a black Ziku Driver—the other one was clenched tightly around something, obscuring it. Crossing back over, he stiffly crouched down in front of Geiz. “Now, this is slightly experimental, but don’t worry—it definitely works,” His hand balanced on Geiz’s shoulder for a moment, “I would never risk your life.” Moving his arm, he held the Driver against Geiz’s waist. Geiz tried to flinch back, but the robots restraining him remained immovable, and the Driver attached itself to him anyway. Ouma Zi-O didn’t give him a chance to struggle more, though, raising the other item.

It was a Ride Watch, one vaguely familiar in design. Geiz noticed faded, warped versions of his own colours—though the face was indistinct compared to his proper Watch, and when the Overlord activated it, the sound it made sounded like a cry of anguish. Leaning forward, Ouma Zi-O fastened it to the Driver, turning it. When it clicked into position, the whole thing sparked, then released out a burst of energy that sent a substantial shock through Geiz’s body—then another as it continued powering up, then a continuous one as it tried to transform him.

Transformations in general were not easy to describe, but they were not usually unpleasant—this one was far more than that. It was **painful** —an intense, burning sensation, as if the red glow were fire itself, with an undercurrent of electricity that made his heart accelerate to the point it felt like it wasn’t even beating. He didn’t scream because he could barely breathe, just shook in the robots’ hold, slumping forward. But the effect wasn’t just physical—it was like something was clawing at his mind, trying to swallow it. It was hard to separate even the most basic of thoughts, and it seemed like his memories were being sucked into a blackhole. He tasted blood in his mouth when he bit through his tongue, felt his fingers slip when his nails broke the skin on his palms.

Ouma Zi-O stood, taking a step back, merely watching expectantly as the Rider shuddered on the ground. Trying to fight through the pain and the fog consuming his thoughts, Geiz tried to pin down the most important things in his mind, secure them against the tide of nothing eating away at his head.

Eventually, when the armour began to form, all he had left were their faces.

Dragging his head up, he worked his lungs to the limit, struggling to find the air to speak. “… Tsukuyomi… Sougo…”

“Don’t worry,” Ouma Zi-O said again, completely calm. “I would never hurt my sister or myself, either.”

Geiz just glared at him one last time as the helmet finished materialising. Then he stilled, head dropping forward.

After a moment, the robots subduing him let go of his arms, which fell limply to his sides. The Overlord moved toward him again, stooping down again, peering at the helmet face. Satisfied with something, his face moved into a genuine smile, and he reached out, gently taking hold of Geiz’s arms and guiding him to his feet. He took a moment to dust the Rider’s shoulders off, like he was trying to make him presentable. Then he stepped forward and put his arms around Geiz, even laying a hand on the back of the helmet, holding it against his shoulder.

“… I’m so glad.” He murmured, with more emotion than he’d said anything else. “I am **so** glad.’

‘… You’re home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ouma Zi-O really needs to rethink his definition of not hurting people.  
> No wonder Geiz is worried...


	4. Chapter 4

Tsukuyomi’s computer pad picked up a strange energy signal. It didn’t look like the ones that sometimes appeared with Another Riders, and wasn’t that far from them. So, glancing at where Sougo was still curled up in a ball on the stairs, she gathered up everything and walked over to him.

“Sougo.” No response. “Sougo!” His head lifted slightly. “Come on, we should check this out.”

His head dropped back into his arms. “… Don’t want to. I’ll probably just make things worse.”

She scowled, then seized him by the arm and yanked him to his feet. “Is this really what you’re going to do? Mope around the shop?” He stared at her, looking the most attentive he had for a while, so she kept going. “Geiz didn’t stay behind to ensure our escape just so you could sulk! Right now, you’re the only Kamen Rider here! Doesn’t that mean anything?”

Sougo blinked a few times, trying to clear his mind, then looked down at the other Ride Watch clutched in his hand, the yellow eyes staring back at him. He bit his lip again, then looked back up at her. “… Okay. Let’s go.”

* * *

The location turned out to be largely abandoned—a large parking lot for a big store that Sougo vaguely remembered going under. That was the first unusual thing.

The second was who was waiting for them.

“… Geiz?!” Sougo’s first instinct was to rush forward when he saw the familiar armour, to go to his friend and make sure he was alright.

Tsukuyomi’s voice stopped him short, her hand grabbing his elbow. “Wait!” His head swivelled around to look at her, and he noticed she seemed to have just stopped moving as well, having had the same compulsion before realising something. “He gave us his transformation equipment.” She let go of his arm to rummage around in her things—and pulled out the Ziku Driver in question.

Sougo’s hand immediately flew to the pocket he’d tucked Geiz’s Rider Watch back into—and instantly felt the its round shape through the cloth. Exchanging apprehensive glances, they both turned to look at the Rider before them. Looking more closely, Sougo noticed that the colours were slightly off—washed out and faded—and he was standing unnaturally still, especially for Geiz, facing away from them, apparently staring at the horizon.

This time, when he spoke, his voice was more cautious. “… Geiz…?” He inched forward, trying to signal for Tsukuyomi to stand back; if something happened, it was better for only one of them to be in range. “… Is that you?” Finally, he was close enough to reach out towards Geiz’s shoulder, hand trembling just a little.

Then a gloved hand swung around and grabbed his wrist, and he found himself staring into the helmet face.

“Sougo!” Tsukuyomi yelled from behind him, “The Driver!”

Startled, he looked down to see what she meant. The Ziku Driver on the other Rider’s waist was black where it should have been white, and it wasn’t displaying a date. The Watch attached to it also looked strange, the same off-hue as the armour. He didn’t get much time to consider, however, because he was promptly tossed away roughly, barely managing to roll on landing.

He came back up as Tsukuyomi called out and started towards him, only for Geiz to appear between them, making a grab for her arm, forcing her to sidestep out of the way, then continue backing up when he pursued her. “Geiz, stop! Snap out of it!”

Sougo stumbled to his feet, rushing over and throwing his arms around the other Rider’s waist, trying to pull him back; but physically, Geiz was stronger than him, not to mention transformed, and he only succeeded in being dragged along with him. “Please stop!” He begged, voice breaking, “What happened to you?” His arm bumped against the strange Driver then, and he had an idea. Trying to readjust himself while still being dragged, he got hold of the Driver and tried to deactivate it.

The result was a massive electric shock shooting through both of them that knocked Sougo flat on his back, and made Geiz jerk to a halt, falling to one knee with a shudder.

“Sougo?” Tsukuyomi shouted again, questioningly.

“I’m okay!” He grunted, wincing as he tried to get up. “But Geiz-” He was cut off when the Rider in question recovered as well, whirling around and seizing him by the collar, dragging him upwards. It was like Geiz’s usual fighting style—straightforward, relying on pure strength to tank through everything—but the movements were more rough and brutal than they had been before. He threw Sougo again, then started advancing on him where he’dfallen threateningly.

“Geiz!” A blast of red light whizzed past his head, then, and he stopped, looking slightly over his shoulder. Tsukuyomi had raised the FaizPhone, aiming it loosely at him, even though her hand was shaking, too. “Stop.” She pleaded softly, using her other hand to keep the one holding the gun steady. “Please. I don’t want to shoot you.”

Instead, Geiz turned around and moved towards her. When he got closer, she did fire, striking him in the shoulder, but he just seemed to absorb the hit and kept going, grabbing her by the arm. She resisted, jerking away from him, and Sougo scrambled back up to throw himself between them. Tsukuyomi was knocked to the ground whole paces away, while Sougo quickly found himself grabbed in her place. Pulled into the air so that his toes were barely scraping the ground, armoured hands closed around his neck while he kicked and struggled, trying to stay conscious. He doubted that Geiz would kill him like this, assuming he was being controlled by Ouma Zi-O, but he didn’t like the option of being knocked out and leaving Tsukuyomi on her own.

“Geiz…” He wheezed, squeezing his voice out through the pressure on his throat, “… That… Hurts…”

The force on his neck tightened… Then loosened.

He was abruptly thrown away hard, smacking violently into the ground. He rolled over as Tsukuyomi stumbled up to kneel beside him, taking his shoulder to help hold him up.

A distressed groan made them both lookup. Geiz was hunched over, clutching his head, shaking it like he was trying to clear it. He stumbled a bit, then sank to his knees with a sound that was part way between a sob and a scream, gripping harder at the helmet as if he could get it off.

“… Geiz?” Sougo called nervously, concern overcoming his other fears.

At the sound of his voice, Geiz looked up at them. For a moment, Sougo felt like he was looking through the distorted helmet, right into the other Rider’s eyes—eyes that were, in that instant, unclouded by Ouma Zi-O’s influence. Slowly, tremblingly, like it took all of his will, Geiz’s arm raised, stretching out, his hand reaching for them with the same desperation as a drowning person would reach for air. Hauling himself up, Sougo tried to pull forward and reach back, fingers straining towards his friend.

Then there was a shudder in the air, like an indistinct voice, and the black Driver burst to life. With a horrible buzzing sound, it released another burst of energy, sending another shock through Geiz, who let out a choking sound and slumped forward, his arm dropping.

“No!” Tsukuyomi cried, hurtling to her feet and starting forward, Sougo heaving himself up behind her.

Before they could reach Geiz, however, a circle of black and gold gears appeared in the air at the other Rider’s shoulder, and robot that looked frightfully similar to Kasshin jumped out, landing between them. “How inconvenient.” It mused in a bored tone. “We warned Ouma Zi-O-sama this might still happen.”

“Get away from Geiz!” Sougo snapped, going for his own Driver and Watch.

“That is not an option, my Overlord.” The robot replied, then reached down to take hold of Geiz’s arm, its other had reaching out to summon another portal. “Now, if you’ll excuse us.” It stepped backwards into the dark circle, yanking the unresponsive Rider with it.

Sougo rushed forward to try and grab them anyway, but only succeeded in falling on his face when the portal vanished. He struggled back up as Tsukuyomi stepped up behind him, just staringin horror. He tried to take a few deep breaths, but they caught in his throat, breaking into huge sobs. Slamming his fists into the ground, he let out a wordless yell that cracked halfway through. Tsukuyomi just wrapped her arms around herself, huddling into her cape, her face drawn tight.

After a moment of shocked, fraught silence, the FaizPhone rang.

Sougo didn’t even look up, but she fumbled with her pockets, finding it and pulling it open. The person on the other end didn’t wait for her to speak.

“I wanted to apologise for the distress.” Ouma Zi-O said evenly. “The system… Still has a few bugs.”

“Ouma Zi-O?!” When she said that, Sougo did snap to attention.

Struggling up, he grabbed the phone from her hand. “What did you do to Geiz?!” He shouted into it, voice still breaking.

“Perhaps you should ask what did **you** do?” His future self asked calmly. “I am you, after all. But do not worry. You know how stubborn Geiz is—I merely… Pressed an issue to get him to understand.”

“No!” Sougo yelled, then his voice quieted. “That’s not… This isn’t… This isn’t what I wanted…”

“Of course it is.” Replied Ouma Zi-O. “We are one. Your friends are my friends. What you love, I love.”

“Controlling someone’s mind isn’t friendship!”

“Is that what you think this is? So be it. Until later, then.” The Overlord hung up. Sougo sank back to his knees, the phone cradled in his hand. Weakly, he retrieved Geiz’s Ride Watch from his pocket with the other.

“That’s not friendship.” He mumbled, staring down at it. “That’s… That’s not friendship.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, yeah. Guess I made up a Kasshin clone. ^^  
> Freaking robot bastard.  
> Anyway, I'm having fun with this. That's... Not usually good thing for characters.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... First time trying to write Woz.  
> Not sure how it went? I think it's okay, but the bloody prophet is so _mysterious~_ that it's hard to get a sense of him. I did my best! DX

The robot deposited them in an empty warehouse several miles away, rather than returning to the future.

“… Probably best to finish this myself and take you both back at once rather than fiddling around with you.” It mused, dropping Geiz on the ground. “Wait here.” It spun on its heel and started away—then froze.

A hand had grabbed one of the pieces protruding from its back, anchoring it.

“What are…” It tried to jerk free, but the Rider held on. “… I see. So you’re still clinging to control. Trying to protect your friends?” It attempted to pull away again—but even though Geiz’s head was still down and the rest of him was still, his hand refused to let go. “You really are obstinate to the core.” Twisting around, he raised his weapon and slammed Geiz with the butt, sending the Rider sprawling across the cement.

It did free itself, but Geiz’s transformed strength snapped off one of its pieces from the force because of how tightly he was holding on. The robot made a tutting sound, looking over its shoulder to examine the damage. “You’ve certainly got a grip…” A clatter made it look back up. Its broken piece was lying discarded on the ground—but the Rider had vanished. “And you’re quick… Seems I **do** need to deal with you first.”

* * *

Woz didn’t pace, exactly. More flitted about from place to place, looking displeased, occasionally flipping through his book. He’d perched himself on the railing in the lower reaches of a fire escape when he heard the sound behind him, making him turn toward it.

He didn’t expect to see Geiz.

At least… He thought it was Geiz. The colours were off, and the Hiragana on the eyes was altered slightly to be nonsensical instead of the usual message. He was also limping, moving stiffly like every motion hurt, and his whole body was drooping from apparent exhaustion. But then the Rider’s head raised, and noticed him.

“… **Woz**.” The word was both a recognition and a disbelieving groan—weak, tired, strained—but definitely Geiz’s voice, and not as hostile as it usually was when they met.

Woz wanted to say something, to make the situation normal again, especially when everything else was spinning out of control—but then Geiz’s strength seemed to give out, and he careened forward, the strange transformation disappearing as he fell, until he was himself when he hit the ground. Waiting until he was absolutely certain the Rider wasn’t moving aside from pained, heaving breaths, Woz hopped off the rail and cautiously made his way over, crouching down. When Geiz still didn’t move, he reached out and gently poked at the Rider’s arm a little. More sure of himself, then, he tucked his book under his arm, and gently took hold of Geiz’ shoulders, rolling him over—and starting in surprise.

“What is…?” At that moment, he heard a familiar sound from the street adjacent to them, making him peer out from around the corner. In between the shadows and the bustle of the road, he could see the golden shape of one of Ouma Zi-O’s robot attendants flitting around—slowly, carefully. Searching. Glancing back at the black Driver that not even he recognised one more time, he sighed and got back up, turning to walk away, taking a few steps.

Then Geiz moaned in pain, even while unconscious, and his feet froze.

Try as he might, he couldn’t take another step. This wasn’t part of the plan. He’d never intended on being around to watch. But, for some reason, having Geiz right **there** and clearly **injured** was like a lead ball and chain wrapped around his leg—he couldn’t seem to move even the slightest bit further away.

In the middle of his internal struggle, the sound of the robot’s movements came closer—and finally, with a frustrated huff, he spun around on his heel and strode back over. Bending down again, he hooked his arms under Geiz’s and dragged the Rider away from the entrance of the alleyway and around a corner, blocking the view of them from the street. Leaning Geiz up against the wall carefully, he peeked back around the wall, watching the street until the robot went past. When he was satisfied they had avoided detection, he turned around to kneel down again.

“What am I doing…?” He muttered under his breath—even as his arm subconsciously drifted over to hold the Rider’s shoulder. His irritated humour faded, however, as he took the time to actually examine Geiz’s condition. The Rider looked like he was sick; he was pale, shivering, and breaking out in a cold sweat—whatever the strange armour was, it was taking a toll on his body. Leaning on the Rider’s shoulder, Woz tried to inspect the Driver again. It was identical to the regular Ziku Drivers save for the colour and the face, which was completely blank rather than displaying a year. The Ride Watch still attached to it was wrong, too—washed out and not as detailed as the correct one.

He glanced briefly back up at Geiz’s face, drawn in exhaustion and pain even though he was already unconscious, like the thing was absorbing his energy to power itself. Inadvertently, his hand tightened on the Rider’s shoulder. “… What did they do to you…?” The question in his own voice surprised him. He’d thought he’d carefully packaged away and sealed all parts of the person he’d used to be—but this situation seemed to be reaching into some of the furthest parts of the heart he’d thought he’d closed off to drag out care for the one person he really needed to **not** care about. But then Geiz made another tortured sound, and those concerns didn’t seem to matter for the moment.

The strange Driver might not have been killing him, but he was definitely in agony. Woz’s mouth twisted unhappily—then he reached over, taking firm hold of the Driver, and tried to pull it off.

The resulting shock knocked him a couple of paces, and made Geiz let out a broken half-scream in his sleep, body jerking slightly, while the Driver stayed where it was. Woz sat back up, rubbing the hand the current had traveled through. “… So not even I can remove it…” He crawled back over, reaching out and gently feeling the Rider’s forehead—which was burning up like he had a fever. Pulling his hand back, he tugged on the end of his scarf, twisting it in his hand until a piece disconnected itself. Folding that into a square, he carefully wiping Geiz’s forehead and face off as much as he could. “… This isn’t right.” He murmured unconsciously, hand shaking a little. When he was done, his arm dropped down to rest on his knee. “I… I didn’t mean…” He stopped there, because he wasn’t at all sure **what** he didn’t mean—other than the fact that he apparently didn’t mean it. So instead he quickly and awkwardly tucked the piece of cloth into the first place he saw to hide it—which turned out to be Geiz’s pocket—frown deepening. “… I’m sorry.” The words sounded and felt foreign, but also like they needed to be said. While staying true to history had meant getting Geiz out the way somehow, and the different paths they’d chosen had meant burning all bridges between them… He’d never intended for the Rider to **suffer**. At least, not where he could **see** it. Being right there, looking at the results, was more than he’d bargained for.

Why could half the world be statistic, but one person be enough to make him break character?

His reverie was interrupted when Geiz stirred, making even more pitiful noises. When the Rider shifted, he reacted before his mind registered what he was doing, hands shooting out to catch Geiz when he fell forward, and his voice dragging out of him again in an uncharacteristically gentle tone. “It’s okay,” He mumbled vaguely, “It’s okay, you’re okay.” It promptly occurred to him that Geiz likely wouldn’t consider his presence comforting in the slightest, but there was nothing he could do about that at this point.

Geiz’s eyes opened—and for a moment, the Rider’s gaze was completely clear and sensible, and he was surprised to find it empty of the usual resentment—merely surprise and bewilderment.

Then it turned abruptly to fear. With unexpected force, he shoved Woz away hard enough that the prophet skidded on the ground a bit. When he scrambled into sitting up, Geiz was already on his feet, wavering and clutching his head, eyes squeezed shut again—then they opened, and his irises glowed red for a moment.

With nothing but an awful screech, the black Driver turned itself, locking in and activating. Geiz let out a choked almost-scream of pain, practically falling again as the lights flashed and the strange armour materialised, latching onto him almost aggressively, regardless of him still clutching his head. But when the process was over, he went completely still, arms dropping to his sides. He stayed completely frozen for a frighteningly long moment—then, his head turned, unnaturally slowly, and looked right at Woz for another abnormally long while. Finally, he turned around simply walked away—deliberately, but also far too slowly.

Woz didn’t move himself until he was certain the Rider was gone; hobbling to his feet, shaking his head out and rubbing his temple. Geiz pushing him away wasn’t unexpected—but the moment of panic on the Rider’s face before he’d done so… Woz didn’t like that he couldn’t be sure if it had been fear **of** him as a agent of Ouma Zi-O, or fear **for** him as… He stopped that train of thought there. He’d been relapsing far too much in the past few minutes already; it was better to focus on things that weren’t going to make him have unnecessary… Emotions.

Like the black Driver. He **really** didn’t like that he didn’t know anything about it, or that he’d been unable to interface with it. It wasn’t in the book (though there were a lot of things not in the book lately). Doing his best to collect himself, he adjusted his scarf and straightened his coat before slipping away.

This required some investigation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not knowing exactly what their history is made that extra hard.  
> Hopefully it's open-ended enough.  
> Everything has to be open-ended when it comes to Woz...


	6. Chapter 6

“Do you think it’s my fault?”

Tsukuyomi stopped walking and turned to look at Sougo, who had stopped a few paces behind her, and was staring at the horizon somewhere over her shoulder like he was hoping for divine intervention. “What?”

“What Ouma Zi-O did to…” He trailed off, then tried to collect himself. “When I said that maybe he’d try to… Change Geiz. Do you think that gave him the idea?” He seemed to be slipping into some sort of trance state. His voice was flat and monotone, and his expression completely blank—only his eyes, brimming with a turmoil of fear, despair, guilt, and desperation betrayed any emotion at all.

She thought about it for a moment. “… If that is why, then it’s my fault, too.”

His head snapped around a bit to stare right at her. “What do you…?”

Taking a deep breath, she turned and walked a few more paces away, wrapping her arms around herself again. “I’m the one who said that you should think about what you would do. If you thinking that is what caused this, well…” She turned back to face him. “I’m the one who told you to think it.”

“But I didn’t have to think of that.”

“I didn’t have to tell you to think about it at all.” She took another deep breath. “Regardless of why, though, it’s happened. And we need to deal with it.”

She watched the blood drain from his face in record time. “How?” He croaked. “How are we supposed to…?” He shook his head. “I don’t know if I can fight Geiz.”

“You have before.”

“Not like this. And that was before…”

Before they’d all really gotten to know each other. Sougo had cottoned to calling them ‘friends’ right from the start, but it had taken them some time to truly become that. But now that they had… Even the concept of a fake fight was thoroughly terrifying.

“I know.” She said, grimly. “But we may not have a choice. We were lucky he managed to overcome the Driver at all. We might not be able to count on that next time.”

* * *

“You’re lucky,” Ouma Zi-O growled, pinning the robot against the wall, “That the Driver restarted smoothly. You better hope there isn’t a problem next time.” With one last angry huff, he tossed the machine aside.

It merely straightened itself, bowing deeply. “Of course, Ouma Zi-O-sama.”

“You’re dismissed.” The Overlord snarled, not even bothering to look back when he waved it away, and it exited the hall. Ouma Zi-O turned to where Geiz was standing, still as a statue again, placing his hands on the Rider’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. I know it’s not your fault.” He told him gently, “It’s not your fault.” The Overlord took a deep breath, sighing dramatically. “I just wish…” He murmured, squeezing Geiz’s shoulders—a little too tightly. “I just wish you wouldn’t be so difficult about this.” When the Rider continued staring blankly at the wall over Ouma Zi-O’s shoulder rather than at him, the Overlord moved his hand to grab Geiz’s chin, yanking his head around to face him. “Listen to me.” The edge of a growl entered his voice. “ **Listen**. Why can’t you understand? Why can’t you see that the one who’s **really** protecting the world here is me? **Why** do you **always** choose **him**?” His eyes darkened with each demand.

The helmet face just stared at him for a moment. Then, with the tiniest, slightest movement—while otherwise completely motionless—Geiz pulled his chin out of Ouma Zi-O’s hold.

The Overlord’s expression twisted, and tarnished golden and angry red light gathered around him. Rearing back, he shoved the Rider so hard, he sent Geiz crashing hard into the far wall of the hall, cracking it and leaving a small crater. Bits of stone and rubble rained down on the Rider when he fell back to the ground—stunned for a moment before struggling to get up, limbs and movements stiff and shaky from the hit, his body reacting to pain his mind wasn’t registering.

Ouma Zi-O blinked, the warped light vanishing, the fury disappearing from his face. “Geiz!” He hurried across the floor to the Rider’s side, kneeling down and dragging Geiz up into his arms, trapping him possessively against his chest as the Rider went motionless again. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” He whispered softly, rocking them back and forth slightly, even stroking Geiz’s head like he would a pet. “I’m so sorry… I would never hurt you… I would never hurt you.” He leaned his chin on the top of the Rider’s helmet. “But I can’t have you fighting me like this.” Keeping one arm locked around Geiz, his other hand over the altered Watch, light gathering in his palm, resonating with the Ride Watch, which began to spin and glow.

Geiz began to convulse, twisting in his hold, as the light expanded and enveloped him. Ouma Zi-O merely tightened his grip, buffering the most of the twitching with his body, leaving only the Rider’s legs kicking aimlessly. Geiz didn’t scream, or even whimper—the pain signal not reaching his brain—just spasmed silently against the Overlord’s chest.

Finally, the light faded, and the Rider slowly stilled in his arms, going limp. Ouma Zi-O adjusted his arms to be able to Geiz’s head again. “That’s better.” He murmured. “That’s better. Now we can finish things when you wake up.”

* * *

“He’s still in there.” Tsukuyomi pointed out gravely. “We know that. He let you go before. He’s still in there, we can still save him.” She was pacing back and forth on the sidewalk while Sougo sat on a bench, chin his hands, elbows balanced on his knees.

“But we still don’t know how to do that. Me trying to get the Driver off just electrocuted both of us.” His tone was starting to turn hopeless—and very un-Sougo-like.

“Okay, so it tries to defend itself. Which indicates that removing it will free Geiz from its control.”

“But the shock is too much to hold on long enough to deactivate it.”

“So we find a way to lessen the shock. Maybe you could try while transformed?”

His brows knit together a little at that, and he sat up slightly. “I… Didn’t think to try that…”

She stopped in her pacing to walk over to stand next to him. “The suit could act like an insulator and minimise the effect.”

“Could?” Anxiousness was creeping into his voice, too.

“We have no way of knowing for sure unless we try. And we owe him that, at least.”

“And if it doesn’t work?”

Tsukuyomi hesitated. She had no idea what they’d do if it didn’t work. “We’ll make it through.” She said, trying to muster some bravado. Then she realised something. “Like your uncle said.” Her lips twitched toward a smile despite the situation. “Our friendship won’t break so easily. If we keep our nerve, we can take Geiz back. I’m certain of it.”

He met her gaze for a moment, and she could see a bit of the usual self-assurance coming back into his eyes. He swallowed nervously once, then slowly stood, nodding to her. “… Me too.”

“That’s admirable, my Overlord.” Interrupted a voice. “But do you have any idea where to **find** Geiz-kun?”

Sougo whirled around and Tsukuyomi leaned sideways to find Woz lounging on the bench next to them, fiddling with his book—but Tsukuyomi detected something odd about his expression; the way he was pointedly looking past them rather than at them. “Woz?” Sougo asked, blinking in surprise, “What are you doing here?”

The prophet sighed, rising with his usual theatric style. “Well?” He asked, ignoring Sougo’s question. “Do you?” The other two exchanged glances. “I thought so. Fortunately for you…” He snapped his book closed;

“… **I** do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... Ouma Zi-O's a jerk face, to put it quite mildly.  
> We're gearing towards wrapping up though, I think? Next might even be the last part?  
> Then again I never know how long things will take me. I expected to leave this at a one-shot.  
> So who knows?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dooo dooo doo doo da DOO DOO doo doo da DOO DOO doo doo doo dooo...  
> I can't write fight scenes to save my bloody life.  
> I greatly apologise or how utterly crappy this chapter is.  
> Anyway. Onward?

“Now wait a moment.” Tsukuyomi cut in, before the conversation could go any further. “What’s in this for you?”

Woz blinked innocently in her direction, still refusing to look right at them—like he was secretly embarrassed or something. “What do you mean?”

She folded her arms. “I’m not dumb enough to think you care about saving Geiz—which means that there must be something else you want from this. Well? What is it?”

The prophet actually floundered for a moment, needlessly adjusting his scarf before responding, “Status quo,” In the least convincing voice they’d ever heard from him.

“… Status quo.” Tsukuyomi repeated, both of them staring at him disbelievingly.

Woz huffed both indignantly and defensively. “Regardless of how much fun you seem to be having joking around, I was under the impression time was of the essence?” His eyebrows knit together slightly—almost apprehensively.

Tsukuyomi frowned unhappily, but had to concede with a nod when Sougo glanced questioningly at her. So he looked back at Woz and asked, “Do you really know where Geiz is?”

The prophet nodded. “I meant what I said.”

Sougo moved anxiously toward him. “So? Where is it?”

Woz spun away from them, twirling his scarf out. “I believe we agreed time was of the essence?” With a dramatic sweep of his arm, the scarf flew up and elongated, wrapping around them—and everything went fuzzy and grey for a moment.

* * *

Light cut through the darkness as Woz’s scarf snapped back to its normal shape. He’d transported them partway across town, into a small alleyway. When Sougo opened his mouth to question, however, the prophet shushed him, indicating around the corner; the other two leaned around him as all three of them peeked out.

The street was sparsely populated to begin with, and was always empty this time of day—fortunately, because its current occupant would have taken some explaining. Geiz was actually moving this time, but abnormally slowly, wandering down the street, looking around just slightly.

Woz slid back to lean against the wall. “It seems like the Driver is interfering with his nervous system.”

“Like it’s completely sealed off his brain from his body…” Tsukuyomi mused darkly. Then she looked at Sougo. “You ready?”

“No.” He replied, honestly, fishing out both his own Ride Watch and Geiz’s, gazing at them and chewing his lip. “But I guess we don’t have a choice.”

She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”

“You won’t have a problem getting him to hang around.” Woz told them grimly, then glanced at Tsukuyomi. “Seems he’s looking for you.”

She just cracked her knuckles, and pulled out the FaizPhone. “Then let’s get out there.” Taking hold of Sougo’s arm, she pulled him along with her, stepping out of their cover. “Geiz!”

The other Rider froze, then turned, still unnaturally sluggishly. Sougo didn’t any waste time with his Henshin to avoid being caught off-guard—besides, the only person who ever really seemed to are about ceremony was Woz, who was conspicuously silent; which might have been a blessing, since Sougo didn’t think he could handle a ‘Rejoice!’ at the moment. As it was, he’d barely completed it when Geiz charged them, movements finally speeding up. Both he and Tsukuyomi sidestepped away—and when the other Rider twisted around to reorient, it was Tsukuyomi he followed.

This time, though, with the initial shock gone, she was ready. Deftly dodging when he tried to grab her again, she tried to use the FiazPhone blasts to corral him. He showed about as much care for the shots as he had before, especially since they weren’t hitting him. Still, she was able to lead him into a slightly more closed off area of the street between two abandoned store fronts, Sougo covering the other side—even Woz stayed close, hovering by Sougo’s shoulder, one hand holding onto his scarf like has was ready to use it again. Eventually, they got him to hold still for a moment.

“Sougo!” Tsukuyomi yelled, motioning for him to move.

Taking as long a deep breath as he dared to get ready, Sougo put his head down and dashed forward, crashing into Geiz. The other Rider barely stumbled, the fraction of a second was enough time for him to grab hold of the Driver and try to turn it off again.

This time, the shock was worse. It not only knocked them both back—Geiz down to one knee again, and Sougo actually rolling across the ground—but was also enough to force him out of his transformation.

Tsukuyomi called out his name again at the same time Woz cried “My Overlord!” and both rushed over to him while Geiz was still incapacitated. It was Tsukuyomi who crouched down to help him up, flinching back the first time when she was zapped by lingering sparks.

Woz was squinting over at the other Rider, specifically the black Driver. “The voltage increased…?” He muttered, apparently to himself.

“They must have strengthened it after he broke free last time,” Tsukuyomi observed miserably, then looked sharply at him over her shoulder. “Wait. How do you know about the original voltage?”

At that moment, however, Geiz recovered, surging to his feet and summoning a similarly discoloured version of the Zikan Ax, immediately switching it to Bow mode and firing on them, forcing them to duck and roll out of the way, Tsukuyomi shoving Sougo when he didn’t move.

Sougo managed to sit back up after getting clear, but couldn’t make it any further. “… It didn’t work…” He mumbled blankly. “It… It didn’t…” He was interrupted when Tsukuyomi yelled something, and he looked up to find Geiz aiming in his direction. “Well…” He mumbled despondently, “… At least that’s normal.” Ignoring the other two starting toward them, he just sat and watched the shot power up, waiting.

… For just a little too long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mandatory plan failure?  
> Also, still, uh, really sorry. This is so bad.  
> Excuse me while I die of shame.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter~ is slightly better~ I think~ but I'm not sure!~  
> Sigh. Well, one chapter right after another, I suppose.  
> There's a reason for that, this and previous one were original one thing that I broke apart. It just worked better? Not that it saved either of them, I think. xp  
> ... Gods, is there a way to make that face look less happy? Because it's too happy for this right now.

At the last moment, Sougo flinched out of the way of the blast, singeing his shirt sleeve on it as the others reached them, Woz using the scarf to knock the weapon out of Geiz’s hands and push the other Rider back. Tsukuyomi went to help Sougo up, but nearly banged heads with him when he sat up too quickly.

“… That was too long.”

She stared at him, and Woz looked over his shoulder. “What?”

“That was too long. He took too long to shoot.” Sougo tried to force his brain to work, to think back to the initial shot, to count. “The first one, too…” He scrambled up to his knees. “It’s just a fraction of a second, or something, but it’s definitely longer than it should be.” He looked at Tsukuyomi, feeling tears start to form in his eyes. “He’s hesitating.”

Understanding dawned on her face. “He’s… Trying to give us time to dodge.” Her hand trembled a little on Sougo’s arm. “He can’t stop it from going after us, so he’s trying to slow it down.”

Sougo bit his lip again. “Even though it’s stronger, he’s still…” His hands curled into fists. “… He’s still fighting it…”

_Your bond has become strong enough to endure pretty much anything_.

Geiz **was** still in there, still knew who they were. Was still trying to protect them. There was still a chance, though perhaps slim, that they could bring him back. Suddenly, as the other Rider recovered and started back toward them, Sougo had an idea. “It’s stronger, but he still has the strength to fight it…” He swallowed, squaring his shoulders. “Geiz is strong, but we’re strongest together.”

“Sougo?” Tsukuyomi asked, sounding utterly bewildered.

He didn’t answer her. “… I got lost once, while camping as a kid.” He said slowly instead, getting deliberately to his feet. “Found this cave system, wandered inside, then couldn’t find my way back out. Night came, and it got pitch black in there. I started panicking. But then…” He raised his head, taking a purposeful step towards Geiz, then another, avoiding Tsukuyomi’s attempt to grab his arm. “… I heard a voice.” When the other Rider raised the Bow again, he counted the seconds in his head, stepping aside in plenty of time and continuing to move forward. “Oji-san had noticed when I didn’t come back, and was scouring the forest for me. He heard my crying from inside the caves, and was calling to me from the entrance.” He dodged another shot, falling into a rhythm. “I could hear him shouting. When I yelled back that it was too dark, he told me ‘Listen to my voice. Focus on it and hold on tightly. Pretend that it’s a rope connecting us and follow it back to me.’ So I did my best… And before I knew it, I was back at the entrance, and we were both crying all over again.” Geiz hadn’t moved from his spot, though Sougo didn’t know if that was because of his words or something else, and he didn’t waste time thinking about it. Not when he was almost close enough. “I don’t know if you can hear me.” He murmured intensely. “But if you can…” One last step brought him near enough, and he lurched forward, ducking around the Bow, to throw his arms around Geiz’s shoulders, nestling his chin against the other Rider’s shoulder. “… Follow my voice.” His tears finally spilled over completely, running down his face. “I… Am **so** sorry. I’m so sorry I hurt you…” Normally, he didn’t like to draw connections between himself and Ouma Zi-O—but strangely, now, with such a huge trespass against a friend, it seemed necessary to own some part of it. “I’m so sorry… I… I don’t know of there’s anything I can do to fix it but… You’re not alone anymore. I’m right here. We can do this together—so **please** , wake up.”

Tsukuyomi and Woz just stared at them for a moment—then she noticed Geiz’s arm, the one still holding the Bow, lower slightly, hand relaxing, and his head tilting just a little like he was, indeed, listening. Before her mind had a chance to argue against it with logic, she ran forward, darting around to lean against Geiz’s back. “That’s right.” She said, her own voice finally cracking slightly. “We’re both here. We promised, didn’t we? That we were going to do this together, trust each other no matter what.” She squeezed the other Rider’s shoulder gently. “We’re never going to give up on you—so don’t you give up either.” They both felt Geiz’s body relax slightly against them. Woz took a step like he was thinking about moving closer, even reaching out slightly—then decided against it, pulling his hand back to clutch his book tighter.

For a moment, there was merely a tense silence. Then a mechanical whirring sound came from behind Tsukuyomi. “That will be quite enough of that.” Snapped the gold robot, feet clinking as it landed. Immediately, pincer-like appendages raised from its back, diving toward them, reaching for Tsukuyomi. She ducked down, covering her head—there was a loud crash just above her.

Then nothing. Frowning, she parted her arms, looking up. The robot had stumbled back, smoking slightly, but that wasn’t all.

Geiz had moved. He’d twisted his arms free of both of them, the Bow raised and pointed over his shoulder, his other hand floating by the trigger like he had just fired.

“… Geiz?” Sougo managed, nervously.

The robot fell back another step, the damaged parts retreating back, still smoking and sparking. “How…?”

Geiz groaned slightly, his first sound in a while, and wavered on his feet, Tsukuyomi barely recovering in time from her surprise to catch him by the shoulders when he nearly fell, racking her mind for something they could do. The voltage was stronger, yes, but the same theory still stood that if they could minimise it somehow, it would be easier to get the Driver off. Suddenly, a thought came to her.

“Sougo!” She yelled, still holding Geiz up. “If we both absorb the shock…!” He looked confused for a moment, then perked up with understanding—and when she reached for the Driver again, so did he. Together, they grabbed and tried to turn it. The electric pulse made them both falter—but it was, indeed, less than before, and they powered through enough to keep hanging on; but actually turning it was harder than it should have been, and it was nearly impossible to focus.

Then, Sougo saw something like a flash of sage green in the corner of his eye, and a third hand joined theirs. For a moment, things became easier, and with a final, great heave, the Driver turned.

The instant it loosened, Sougo snatched it away, throwing it aside as hard as he could. As soon as the Driver was gone, the warped armour vanished, and Geiz dropped sharply to his knees, practically falling on top of the two of them, making both struggle to catch him. There was a brief silence while he just slumped limply into them.

And then his head raised, just a little. “… Sougo…” His voice was a hoarse whisper—but still audible, and his eyes clear as he looked between them. “… Tsukuyomi…” His expression darkened with something between pain, exhaustion, and guilt. “… Sorry…” Then his eyes closed, and he collapsed sideways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that build up was awful. x___x  
> Still dead from shame. God, this started so well what happened? Hopefully the ending improves. Maybe this is just a rough patch?


	9. Chapter 9

Sougo only just managed to catch the other Rider’s head before it hit the ground. “Geiz? Geiz!” Panic edged into his voice again.

“It’s okay!” Tsukuyomi told him quickly, getting her arms under the other Rider’s shoulder to hold him up, “He’s just unconscious.”

The information made Sougo’s shoulders relax slightly—though not completely. Rising to his feet, he turned toward the robot, expression morphing into an icy glare. “… Unforgivable.”

The robot tilted its head. “I do not understand, my Overlord. This was-”

Sougo didn’t let it finish, snapping the Ziku Driver on and raising the Zi-O Ride Watch, his face still a furious, cold glower. “… Henshin.” He activated the Watch, setting it in the Driver and turning it, the glare never wavering, even as the helmet formed over it. Marching forward, he waited until he was just paces away to summon his sword and attack, pushing the robot back with sheer ferocity.

He ignored it when Tsukuyomi yelled his name somewhere behind him; letting all the pain, grief, guilt, and panic that had been building up give way to rage. The robot was already damaged, reluctant to fight him, and easily overwhelmed by the pure wall of destructive emotion the small Rider had turned into, but Sougo didn’t stop—driving it further and further back until he had the thing pinned to the ground, just beating on it.

Until it’s hand suddenly flew up and caught his wrist, its eyes lighting up dark red.

“You fool!” Hissed a voice he recognised, like a distant dream, far angrier than he had ever heard it before. “Why do you not see? This was the only way to protect them!”

“Pro… Tect…?” Sougo whispered, staring down at the robot—shoulders heaving, hand still in the air where the machine’s arm held it—like his gaze could burn right through it and all the way to his future self. “ **Protect** …? How was **that** protecting?”

“With my power, I can keep them close, I can keep them **safe**.” Ouma Zi-O’s voice declared.

“Your definition of ‘safe’ has deteriorated.” Sougo spat back.

“It was only until he came around.” The Overlord replied cooly. “And what does your current plan offer them? Nothing but an uncertain future. You do nothing but put them in danger.”

Sougo’s hand clenched tighter on the robot’s collar, the fist held by its hand trembling. “Pretty sure Geiz would take my uncertain future over being your pawn.” He growled. “You’re waxing about keeping them safe after hurting him like that?”

“I would never hurt Geiz. Or Tsukuyomi. I-”

“Look.” Sougo interrupted him, grabbing the top of the robot’s head and turning it just a little toward where Geiz was unconscious in Tsukuyomi’s arms—blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth, and he was still wincing in pain despite being unconscious, “He bit his tongue so hard, he’s bleeding. Does **that** count as hurt to you?” He dropped the machine’s head, jerking his arm out of its hold and raising it even higher. “ **No one** makes someone I care about bleed and gets away with it. Not even me.”

Before Ouma Zi-O could answer, he brought the strike down, punching right through the robot’s face.

Silence filled the air, save for the shimmer of his transformation disappearing, his own heavy breathing, and a soft buzz as the robot faded away to dust from some internal disposal method, which was soon carried away by a soft breeze—leaving Sougo kneeling on the barren ground, bare fist sitting in the middle of a small crater in the cement.

Finally, tentatively, from behind him, he heard, “… Sougo?” He turned to look over his shoulder at Tsukuyomi. She didn’t look at all frightened, merely concerned and cautious.

“… I’m okay.” He managed breathlessly, after a moment. “I’m… I’m okay.” He wasn’t sure it was entirely true, and her expression said she didn’t quite believe him, either. But they had more pressing matters.

“… Alright.” She said, finally, then looked down at Geiz, “… We should get him back to the shop.” Sougo nodded. That was going to take both of them—though Geiz was quite thin as well, he was surprisingly solid; Sougo had learned that quickly.

Woz had disappeared, as was his wont, in all the chaos, so they worked alone to find a way to gather up the other Rider to take him back. It wasn’t until they’d finally managed to figure out an effective, if somewhat awkward, method of getting all three of them on Sougo’s Bike—having left all but Geiz’s main Watch back home because they hadn’t expected to travel so far—when Tsukuyomi remembered something.

“Sougo,” She said abruptly from where she sat on the back of the bike, “… Where did the black Driver go?”

Sougo blinked. “Oh.” He muttered. “Shoot.”

* * *

Woz didn’t wait around for things to resolve, preferring to flee before questions could be asked.

But there was one thing he wanted—needed—to do.

Slipping about in the shadows around the area, pausing only a few times to nurse his hand, which still ached a little, he carefully surveyed the ground, looking for a particular dark shape. It didn’t take him too long to find it—on a regular basis, Tokiwa Sougo wasn’t really one for arm strength.

Bending down, he picked up the discarded black Driver and examined it more closely, turning it over in his hand. It felt rough, cold, heavy, and sharp; and even deactivated, the aura emanating from it was a dark and twisted one. He couldn’t even see his reflection in the face. Looking it over one last time, he decided he’d seen enough. Closing his eyes, he focused energy on his hand, tightening his grip on the Driver.

With a soft boom and a tiny shower of sparks, it imploded in his hold. He let the charred, broken pieces drop through his fingers to the ground—unrecognisable save as blackened bits of trash. Only the distorted Ride Watch survived, hitting the ground with a clink. Woz stared down at it for a moment—then scowled, and crushed it under his heel. He did the same to some of the larger pieces of the Driver until he was certain it it was completely destroyed; then kicked some of it around a little more for good measure.

Finally stepping back, he checked to make sure the other three had gone before moving off into the shadows, pulling his hood over his head.

He would need to be extra obnoxious to Geiz the next time they met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Sougo's pissed.  
> And it turns out I really like ten-chapter fics?  
> Also that convo between Sougo and Ouma Zi-O was kinda fun to write, actually. ^^


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, the very long ending commences!  
> Wow, I wasn't expecting this to go as far as it did. Or to get so much attention.  
> Thanks guys! <3

He couldn’t move. He felt… Disconnected from his body, like it wasn't really his anymore. His head was pounding, and he couldn’t think straight—could hardly even think at all. He wasn’t restrained, but he couldn’t make his body listen to him, not even a finger. There was red-tinged darkness swirling around him that felt like an unpleasant, chilly breeze stirring his hair and clothes.

Something moved in the shadows. He wasn’t alone. A pair of eyes floated above him, sorrowful and affectionate, but also frightening and **wrong** in some indescribable way. He didn’t feel any safer looking into those eyes—less so, in fact. Especially when a hand reached out of the darkness, grabbing his face like it owned it, fingers digging painfully under his jaw, forcing his head up.

Whispers floated through the air, a frigid, unnatural voice that carried the ghost of something that was once comforting but sounded off-key and distorted, needling its way into his head no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, block it out. The hand on his jaw tightened, the nails stinging his skin. The voice murmured his name, a razor edge of possessiveness seeping into it.

It was getting harder to breathe. It felt like icy fingers were trying to claw their way down his throat. He wanted to cry, but couldn’t seem to.

For one of the only times in his life, he felt genuinely terrified.

Geiz woke with a scream that died halfway up his throat.

He shot up so violently that he very nearly fell off the couch he’d been asleep on. Barely managing to keep his balance, he frantically fumbled around, finding his hands, taking a moment to make sure he could move each finger by his own will; quickly, he ensured that awareness and control belonged to all his other appendages as well, before looking around. The room was reassuringly familiar, but it still took him a moment to be certain he was back at the clock shop, deposited on the couch in the dining room with two blankets draped over him.

His breathing was already steadying by the time Junichiro appeared in the doorway, peering in concernedly. When he saw that Geiz was sitting up, he shuffled in. “Geiz-kun! Thank goodness. I was starting to get really worried!” A customary awkward laugh followed the exclamation, then the old man gave him a serious look. “How are you feeling?”

Geiz hesitated—he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt. It was like his mind was struggling to catch up with his body; or perhaps the other way around. “I…” His voice surprised him, weak and hollow, “I don’t know.”

Junichiro gave him a sympathetic look, pursing his lips thoughtfully. “I get it.” He said, nodding a little. “You were out cold when they brought you back, and you’ve been out the whole night and half the day.” The man gestured to the clock on the wall. “Guess you had a rough time, huh?”

“… You could say that.” The word ‘rough’ seemed like an understatement for what he could remember of the experience.

He was trying to put out a hand to stabilise himself, then, when his fingers suddenly connected with something soft that wasn’t couch or blanket. Looking down at the floor, he realised his hand had brushed against a familiar brown-haired head. Sougo was curled up against the side of the couch in a mess of blankets, sleeping practically upright, head lolling against the cushions. Frowning, Geiz turned his head slowly to examine the rest of the floor—and found Tsukuyomi curled up in a ball by the foot of the couch in a similar fashion, hugging a pillow to her chest.

“We weren’t sure it was a good idea to try and carry you all the way upstairs,” Junichiro explained, “And those two were so worried, they decided to sleep down here, too. They only dozed off in the wee hours, so I decided to let them rest.”

Geiz nodded faintly, avoiding meeting the man’s eyes. His sense were realigning, and a nasty ache was starting to spread through his whole body, his brain trying to catch up on all the pain signals it missed while… The thought trailed off.

“Do you need anything?” Junichiro asked gently, interrupting his musing, brows knitting together concernedly as he moved a little closer. Some of the pain must have shown on Geiz’s face, then, because he frowned even more deeply. “Geiz-kun? Are you sure…?” He reached towards Geiz’s shoulder at the same time the boy looked up at him.

And for a moment, silhouetted against the light, Geiz found himself looking into the face of a very different old man.

He flinched away, trying to retreat into the couch, away from the reaching hand, despite the pain, his panic rising again. Fortunately, Junichiro saw the alarm in his eyes and pulled back rather than pushing forward, stepping away to give the boy space to calm his breathing again.

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.” The man told him quickly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He took a deep breath. “Tell you what. I have some work to finish up, so we’ll see if these two sleepyheads wake up in the next few hours, and then made we can do something special for lunch. Or dinner. Depending on how you all feel.” He smiled warmly at Geiz, but thankfully didn’t reach out toward him again, merely waving clumsily and ducking back out of the room.

Trying to force his heartbeat to return to normal, and finally in too much pain to stay upright, Geiz lay back down on the couch, closing his eyes. He had no intention of falling asleep again, not with that dream waiting for him. But he could, at least, hold very still and pretend everything didn’t ache, and he didn’t feel like some one had rifled thoroughly through his mind and put things back in a slightly different order.

* * *

Sougo’s eyes opened when he smelled food; then, when he tried to sit up, he bumped his face against the hand dangling off the couch right in front of it, that he was certain hadn’t been there when he’d gone to sleep. His suspicions were further confirmed when there was a responding groan somewhere nearby.

“Geiz?” Scrambling to sit up, he peered at the other Rider. “Are you awake?”

“… Unfortunately.” Was the muttered, sour reply. Out of the corner of his eye, Sougo saw Tsukuyomi also waking, then pulling free of the blankets to join them, while Geiz turned his head slightly to look up at them, reopening his eyes. “… Everything hurts.” He grunted, wincing.

“That makes sense.” Tsukuyomi told him regretfully. “You’re brain is probably only just now getting any signals from when…” She didn’t finish, her face going dark.

Geiz sighed, and even that slightly motion seemed to pain him. “… Great.” He muttered.

“Geiz,” Sougo started anxiously, “I-”

He was interrupted when Geiz, stiffly and with some effort simply stuck his hand in his face. “No.” The other Rider ordered. “No. Nope. Absolutely not.”

Tsukuyomi giggled despite herself. “I suppose some things are still the same.”

“Uh… Geiz? Can you move your hand?” Sougo tried to ask, voice muffled by Geiz’s palm on his face.

Geiz thought about it. “… No.” He replied curtly. When Sougo pouted, he reluctantly added, “Don’t think I can right now.” It was true; his body had stiffened up in pain so much over time that he couldn’t find the energy to move his arm back.

Tsukuyomi rolled her eyes, but reached over and gently pushed it back down for him. That motion ached, too, but it was better than having his hand stuck to Sougo’s face. Besides, the pain meant his brain was still working, still connected. After so many hours of nothingness, it was preferable.

At that moment, Junichiro reentered the room—Geiz felt a little guilty when the man carefully maintained a certain distance between them, but also thought it was probably for the best. The last thing he needed was to panic in front of other two—he didn’t feel like going through anymore embarrassment than he already had.

“Wonderful! You two are up as well!” He clapped his hands together. “Food is almost ready, when and if you three are. If Geiz-kun feels like he can sit up.”

Geiz merely groaned, but Sougo and Tsukuyomi nodded to him, Sougo even flashing him a thumbs up. Tsukuyomi looked back down at the other Rider. “Don’t worry,” She told him, “We’ll help you up.”

* * *

Several hours later, Geiz wasn’t sure if the pain was fading, or if he was just getting used to it. Tsukuyomi and Sougo had managed to push him upright on the couch, and bugged him until he ate something. He’d gone back to being still on the couch when Sougo appeared beside him, sitting down with an apprehensive expression.

“… Damnit, Zi-O.”

“I want to talk about this.” The other Rider announced firmly. “Stop running away.”

Geiz rolled his eyes. “I’m not running anywhere.”

Sougo ignored the sarcasm, pressing on, stumbling over his words a little. “I… I’m grateful. That… That you guys came for me, I just…” His lip quivered, and his hand shot out to hold Geiz’s so tightly his finger shook, looking seriously into his eyes. “ **Never** do that again.” It was no guess what he was referring to.

There was unmasked distress and fear in his expression that made Geiz hesitate. “… Don’t plan on it.” He muttered, wincing slightly at the vice-like hold on his hand—but the terror in Sougo’s eyes made him decide not to pull away. “… I’m sorry.”

Sougo gaped at him. “… No.” He managed. “You don’t have anything to apologise for.” He insisted, voice breaking slightly. “I’m the one who-”

He jumped slightly, then, when Geiz flopped sideways, leaning heavily against his shoulder. He briefly felt the pressure of a hand on his arm—a warm, reassuring squeeze. “… Shut up, you idiot.” The other Rider muttered without opening his eyes, then took a deep breath, huddling slightly closer, seemingly subconsciously. “… Sougo.” He murmured—and it occurred to Sougo that Geiz had probably used his name more in the past twenty four hours than he had in multiple weeks, “Listen.” The hand tightened on Sougo’s arm again. “I promised. I will **not** let that be you.” Even though Geiz’s eyes remained closed, the words were earnest and firm.

Swallowing the urge to cry to avoid worrying his uncle in the other room, Sougo started again, “Geiz, I-” He stopped, listening for a moment. Geiz’s breathing had smoothed out, and the grip on his arm slowly loosened, the other Rider’s weight pressing against him a little more.

He’d fallen asleep again leaning on Sougo’s side.

Sougo stared down at him. The idea that even after what he’d gone through at Ouma Zi-O’s hands, Geiz would be willing to be this vulnerable around him was bewildering. He’d’ve attributed it to exhaustion; but according to his uncle Geiz hadn’t slept since waking up the first time—even though it had been ages since then. Besides, Geiz was so stubborn, he’d absolutely be able to keep himself awake by sheer willpower if he wanted. So it couldn’t just be tiredness, but also…

Trust.

Tears stung his eyes a little, and he smiled slightly despite himself. Reaching up, he gently moved Geiz’s head over a little to a position that would be more comfortable for them both, frowning slightly when his fingers felt scratches and bumps, and a particularly tender spot that made the sleeping Rider wince unconsciously when Sougo brushed it. Once that was done, he dropped his hand to cover Geiz’s on his arm, squeezing it back just a little. “… I know.” He whispered.

At that moment, Tsukuyomi reappeared from upstairs. When she raised her eyebrows at Sougo in question, he just shrugged the best he could with the one shoulder that wasn’t supporting Geiz. She smiled fondly back, then plopped down on Geiz’s other side—not exactly leaning, but close enough to be touching shoulders, pulling her feet up underneath her.“We all need a rest.” She declared softly, sighing a bit. “It’s been a long day.”

Sougo could only nod in agreement.

* * *

When Junichiro came back in, he found all three of them alseep. One of Tsukuyomi’s arms had drifted over to drape across Geiz, holding onto the corner of Sougo’s sleeve. Sougo’s head had dropped down to rest on top of Geiz’s, hand still covering the other boy’s on his forearm. He watched them fondly for a moment—then retrieved one of the blankets from where it had been scrunched up at the end of the couch, spreading it out and covering the trio with it and tucking them in. Then he ruffled Sougo’s hair gently, turned off the lights, and slipped out.

They stayed that way the whole night, huddled together on the couch.

And, remarkably, despite everything, no one had any nightmares.

For the time being, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that ending got ominous. Almost like it knew about my other fanfic idea... ^^  
> Also wasn't sure if I should put a line in-between the nightmare sequence and Geiz waking up. I went with no, but I might change that later.


End file.
